Baby seats for telescoping grocery carts



Filed Dec. 19, 1957 April 5, 1960 F. W. YOUNG BABY SEATS FOR TELESCOPING GROCERY CARTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRED W YOUNG BY QM ATTORNEY April 5, 1960 F. w. YOUNG BABY SEATS FOR TELEVSCOPING GROCERY CARTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1957 INVENTOR FRED w. YOUNG By J ATTORNEY April 5, 1960 F. w. YOUNG 2,931,662

I BABY SEATS FOR TELESCOPING GROCERY CARTS Filed Dec. 19, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR FRED W. YOUNG BY WQW ATTORNEY BABY SEATS FOR TELESCQEING GROCERY CARTS Fred W. Young, fllriahoma ility, Okla., assignor to Sylvan N. Goldman, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application December 19, 1957, Serial No. 703,959

9 Claims. (Ci. 28il33.99)

This invention relates to folding baby seats for telescoping grocery carts.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide a folding seat structure for a telescoping grocery cart which embodies flexibility of motion in movement towards both open and closed position and at the same time comprehends a structure which can be conveniently attached to conventional telescoping grocery carts.

Another object of this invention is the provision of novel supporting means for the seat to prevent its collapse below its seating or horizontal position, this supporting means being free and unattached to the swinging gate, and, therefore, more flexible in its operative movements and more conveniently assembled or positioned with respect to the swinging gate structure.

More specifically the present invention comprehends a folding seat for'attachment to the swinging gate of a telescoping grocery cart in which the seat structure is in rearwardly inclined side frame members of the side walls E of the basket, the rearwardly inclined side frame members 10 having their upper ends enlarged or flattened as at 11 and perforated as at 12 to form the sockets to receive the end terminal portions 8 and 9 of the cross bar 7. This mounting provides for the connected to the swinging gate for hinged movement with respect thereto, While the back of the seat is unattached save to the inner marginal edge of the seat'structure, the seat back having supporting legs for association with a supporting element which may be either the gate itself or the bottom of the basket.

These and other objects of the invention will more clearly hereinafter appear by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the instant specification, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a telescoping cart embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a gate with the present seat structure in open or seating position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the seat of the present invention in horizontal or seating position and also illustrating the independent movement of the seat and back with respect to the gate;

Fig; 4 is a side elevation of the invention attached to a gate with the seat structure collapsed against the gate;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation with the seat in collapsed position; and

Fig. 6 is a top plan view with the seat in open position.

The present invention is adapted to a telescoping grocery cart, as generally illustrated in Goldman Patent No. 2,508,670. This telescoping grocery cart is shown as embodying an underframe or carriage structure A having swiveled front wheels B and rear wheels C. The basket D comprises the usual spaced side walls E which converge forwardly, upwardly inclined bottom G, and a front end wall F. The rear of the basket is provided with a swinging hinged gate shown in Fig. 2 as embodying an outer U-shaped wicket having base portion 1 and side uprights 2 and 3 and an inner wicket having base portion 4 and uprights 5 and 6. The upper ends of the wickets are connected to a cross bar 7 having lateral terminals 8 and 19 which extend into the upper sockets inward swinging hinged movement of the gate structure when two grocery carts are telescoped. The cross bar 7 is welded to the upper terminals of the wicket arms to secure the latter in their proper plane and in rigid spaced relation. The hinged gate structure is further reinforced by a cross rod 14 which is positioned parallel to and below the cross bar 7 and has its terminals 15 upturned to provide for the spacing of the members 7 and 14. The extremities of the upturned portions 15 are welded to the cross bar 7 and the upper portions of the wickets are secured to the cross rod 14 at points of interesection. This structure obviously prevents distortion and otherwise braces the related parts.

In addition to the wickets, the hinged gate structure includes vertical side uprights 16 and 17 which are welded to the bases 1 and 4 of the wickets and to the cross bar 7 and cross rod 14 at points of intersection, these uprights 16 and 17 being relatively heavy in structure and forming reinforcing elements partially defining leg openings 20. The leg openings 20 are defined by the upper portions of the uprights 16 and 17, a lower cross rod 21,

center uprights 22 and the cross rod 14. A plurality of wires 24 extend between the cross rod 21 and the bases 1 and 4 of the wickets to form a closure to prevent escape of groceries which may be contained in the cart, these wires 24 terminating at the cross rod 21, as best shown in Fig. 2. The center uprights 22 are offset medially as at 22 to provide clearance for the leg opening closure plate M which is hinged at 25 to a medial cross rod 26 and includes a U-shaped frame member 27 adapted to engage over the upper hook 23 positioned between. the center uprights 22 and supported by the members 7 and 14, as best shown in Fig. 2. The medial cross rod 26'forms the main support for the seat, seat back and seat support and it is intended that this medial cross rod 26 be of sufiicient length and rigidity to mount these parts, this strength and rigidity being aided by welding the medial cross rod 26 at all points of intersection with the adjacent swinging gate structure.

The seat structure is of panel form and comprises a plurality of spaced wires or rods Silextending transversely of the cart structure and connected together by U-shaped wire straps. The U-shaped straps each include base portions 31 and spaced arms 32, the straps being positioned at each end of the seat structure with the arms overlyto structure and arrangement of associated parts, the

seat while free to swing on the pivot links 35 is held against transverse movement which might result in binding of the parts during operation.

The seat is provided with a combined back structure and supporting means, the back structure comprising an inverted U-shaped frame embodying a base portion 40 The seat' back is formed of a plurality of vertically arranged spaced wires 43 connected at their upper and lower por- I and depending supporting legs 41 and 42.

tions to transverserods 44 and 45 extending between and welded to the legs 41 and 42, as best shown Fig, 7

2. The seat back formed of the spaced wires 43 is positioned so as to be immediately at the rear of the seating structure when the latter is in horizontal position. The depending legs 41 and 42 of the inverted U-shaped'frame terminate in loops 45 which are loosely wrapped about the bottom of a pair of connecting link structures depending'from the outer extremities of the cross bar 47 (Fig. the latter being contained within the links 35, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and being free to rotate,

with respect to these links 35 to permit the collapsing of the structure when moving from horizontal to vertical position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The connecting link structures are formed by the depending arms 48 formed as a continuation of the bar 47, these arms 48 being looped at their lower portions at 49 for connection with the loops 46 of the legs 41 and 42 and extending upwardly at 56 for welding connection at 5t} to the crossbar 47.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the depending legs 4?. and 42 below the back elements 43 and the link structures 4s-4e- 5e form a V-shaped frame at each end of the scat which is freelyswingable with and with respect to the seat back during collapse of the seat or its movement from horizontal seating position to upper closed position. In order to maintain the seat in proper association with the depending legs 4-1 and 42. of the seat back, these parts are united by downwardly inclined rings 51 formed at the extremities of the outer transverse frame member 52 (Fig. 6) of the fabricated seat structure. The ring structures 51 are set at such an angle that the depending legs 4-1 and 42 will be free to travel within the same to the extent necessary when the parts are collapsed. This movement and arrangement of parts is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In these figures the traveling rings 51 are first shown in their lower position supported by and resting upon rod 45 when the seat is horizontal and in their upper position in Fig. 4 when the seat is moved to its vertical position against the swinging gate. It will also be observed from these figures that the inward spacing of the upper ends of the arms 48 of the connecting link structures, with respect to the seat assembly, forms a pivot point between the respective parts and facilitates the shifting of the parts. The upward swinging movement of the seat carries with it the link structure 48 a distance comprehended by the inward spacing of the connection of the upper end of this link structure with its pivotal mounting on the swinging gate.

Referring again to Fig. 5 it will be noted that the depending link structure 4 8--49- 5ti has its bottom loop 49 of such width as to span the distance between the adjacent parts of the inner and outer U-shaped wickets 2 and 5 with the loop 46 spaced between these wicket arms 2 and 5, whereby the latter parts act as guides for the loop 46 during travel of the partswhile the arms 48 of the links lie against the arms of the wicket and travel therealong maintaining the parts under control during opening or folding movements. 1

By the use of the construction shown and described, it will be apparent that the seat, seat back, and seat support comprehend a unit which is attachable to the conventional swinging gate of a telescoping grocery cart,

and this assembly, when theswingingjgate is moved from its normal-vertical position to its upper position when a pair of carts of similar construction are telescopically associated, will cause the seat toswing upwardly in the direction of the leg openings with the seat back and seat supporting structure following the seat movement and assuming the position shown in Fig. 4. During this movement of the parts due to the pivotal association between the elements 48 and theseat, the assembly will be moved upwardly in a general arcuate movement. ne shifting of the assembly during the opening. movement of the. swinging gate will position the parts of the instant invention to provide inertia'accelerating the downward and opening movement of the seat parts to the position shown in Fig. 3. In this figure the seat and back with the supporting structure is illustrated in dotted line to indicate the freedom of movement of these parts independently of the swinging gate, this dotted line position indicating the movement of the parts which they will assume during their travel when the seat is collapsed manually by engagement with the upper frame element 40. The upper part of the frame element, i.e. the base of the U-frarne and the upper parts of the legs 41 and 42, in the present device, are shown so positioned that when carts are telescoped, one telescoping cart will engage the frame 404142 at its upper portion and automatically move the seat and its associated parts into collapsed position.

The thought in this structure, of course, comprehends the automatic movement of the assembly to closed positionso that when the carts are separated, the full capacity of the basket will be available unless the seat is to be used by a child in which case it is manually manipulated by gripping the base 40 of the U-frame. The operation of the structure from both open and closed position is dependent upon the relative arrangement of the parts, the arrangement of the pivotal points, and the weight of the various elements of the structure.

What I claim is:

l. in a telescoping cart assembly including a supporting structure and wheels therefor, a telescoping basket carried by the supporting structure, including a hinged gate having leg openings, a seat hingedly connected to the gate at the lower portion of the leg openings, a seat back slidabiy and swingably connected to the free edge of the hinged seat and swingable with said seat from a folded position against the gate to an open seating ing leg openings, a seat hingedly connected along itsouter marginal edge portion to the gate at the lower portion of the leg openings, depending supporting members hingedly connectedto the seat adjacent its hinge connection with the. gate, a seat back, said seat back being sli'dably connected with said seat, and having depending legs extending downwardly an'd converging towards said gate for hinged connection with the bottom of said first depending supporting members to form therewith supporting structures for the seat and back having sliding engagement with said hinged gate.

3. The structure of claim 2 characterized in that the seat back includes an inverted u-shaped frame, the legs of the frame extending through loops carried by the seat to provide the slidable connection therewith.

4. The structure of claim 2 characterized in that thedepending supporting members hingedly connected to the seat adjacent its hinged connection with the gate include relatively wide terminal portions at their lower ends for sliding association with the bottom of the swinging gate.

5. The. structure ofclaim 2 characterized in that thehinged gate-includes a plurality of vertically extending spaced rods at its-bottom portion which form guideways forsliding association with the supporting structure for the seatand back.

6. The structure of claim 2 characterized in that. a

panel is hinged to the structure for swinging movement independent of the seat for closing the leg openings when the'seat is in itshorizontal or seating position.

7. The structure of claim 2 characterized in that the seat back includes an inverted U-shaped frame, the upper portion of which is positioned for engagement with an associated telescoping gate, whereby the seat is moved to folded position when a pair of similar carts are tele-' scoped.

8. In a telescoping cart assembly including a support ing structure and wheels therefor, a forwardly tapered basket adapted for telescoping association with a basket of similar construction carried by the supporting structure, said telescoping basket including a hinged gate having leg openings, 21 seat hingedly connected along its outer marginal edge to the gate at the lowerportion of the leg openings, inner and outer supporting members at each side of the seat converging downwardly for pivotal association, the outer supporting members being hinged to the outer marginal edge of the seat and the inner supporting members having portions in sliding engagement with the inner portions of the seat, and a seat back structure fixed to the upper portion of the inner supporting members, said seat back structure including members projecting beneath the seat for supporting the same when in horizontal position.

9. In a telescoping cart assembly including a supporting structure and wheels therefor, a forwardly tapered basket adapted for telescoping association with a basket of similar construction carried by the supporting structure, said telescoping basket including a hinged gate having leg openings, a seat, a seat back, said seat having depending portions extending from its front edge and said seat back having depending legs for hinged connection at their lower end portions with the extremities of said depending portions, said seat and seat back being slidably connected together, means for limiting therelative sliding movement between the seat and the seat back, said parts being adapted to be constructed as a unit for separable hinged connection with the gate along one of the marginal edges of the seat at approximately the bottom portion of the leg openings and with said depending portions in sliding association with the inner lower portion of said gate, whereby the assembly may be constructed as an independent unit for interchangeable use with a cart assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

